The Clemson Insider has the latest on a tight end in the 2023 recruiting class that Clemson has recently sparked interest in.
A couple of months ago, some Clemson staff members followed Bridgeland (Texas) High School’s four-star tight end, Reid Mikeska, on Twitter. He didn’t think much of it then, but since Kyle Richardson has taken over the tight ends room, he has received more and more interest from the Tigers.
“Recently, they reached out and said they really liked my film,” Mikeska told The Clemson Insider. “I talked with Coach Richardson a couple of times and they definitely love my film. They love me as a player and they just want to continue to build a relationship. Clemson takes things slow recruiting wise and they told me to be patient.”
Mikeska is looking forward to continuing to build his relationship with Richardson.
Richardson, of course, took over as Clemson’s tight ends coach and passing game coordinator after Tony Elliott departed to become the head coach at the University of Virginia this offseason. He has been a key off-field contributor to Clemson’s offensive success since 2016. Prior to that, he served as a head coach of Northwestern High School (Rock Hill, S.C.) from 2011-15.
“I really like him,” Mikeska said of Richardson, “just from a couple of times when I talked to him. Definitely like him a lot.”
What do his conversations with Richardson generally entail?
First off, they are just getting to know each other and getting a feel for another. Clemson wants Mikeska to come up for a visit this spring and then wants him to come back later in the summer. According to Mikeska, the Tigers want him to camp at Clemson, so they can coach him up, get a good look at him and have a chance to meet with him.
“I’m super excited,” he said regarding the prospect of visiting Clemson. “That’s actually my dream school if I were to go anywhere, it would definitely be Clemson if I had my choice. Super excited about that. Really excited that the coaches are interested in me.”
Mikeska was born in the Carolinas, he has a cousin that goes to Clemson and all his family lives in the area. So he remains hopeful that a Clemson offer will eventually come his way when the time is right.
“It would mean everything,” Mikeska said. “Ever since I was a kid, I loved Clemson. It would mean a lot. It would be huge for me.”
As far as his recruitment is concerned, Mikesaka is gonna let the process play out and visit as many places as he can. So far this month, he’s visited Michigan, Michigan State and TCU and with that, the offers continue to pile up.
Since Dec. 1, 2021, Mikeska has earned offers from Baylor, Texas Tech, Houston, Purdue, Michigan State, Colorado, Memphis, North Texas, Iowa State, Virginia, Tennessee, Kansas and Mizzou, who came in with an offer late Thursday night.
Mikeska felt like he was able to display what he’s able to do this past season and put on film what he wanted to during his junior campaign. He helped Bridgeland reach the Texas 6A State Quarterfinals.
How would Mikeska describe himself as a player to someone who’s never seen him play before?
“I would definitely describe myself as a big, physical, athletic tight end, who can play it all,” he said. “I play in the slot, I play H-back and I play hand in the dirt. I can just do anything that an offense would need me to do.”
According to Mikeska, Richardson loves his size, how he moves and his blocking.
“He’s a fan of how I can do it all,” Mikeska added.
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